ChatGPT doubled its weekly active users in under 6 months, thanks to new releases

ChatGPT's user base doubled in under 6 months due to new features, reaching 400M weekly users by February 2025.

: ChatGPT, OpenAI's chatbot, more than doubled its users in less than six months due to new releases. The app grew from 100 million in November 2023 to 400 million weekly active users by February 2025. Notable features like GPT-4o and Advanced Voice Mode spurred user increases. Report from a16z highlights ChatGPT as the top AI app by engagement.

OpenAI's flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, demonstrated impressive growth in the latter half of 2024, according to a report by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). Originally released in November 2022, ChatGPT quickly caught public attention and reached 100 million monthly active users within two months. The report details how, by November 2023, it hit 100 million weekly active users, a number that expanded to 300 million by December 2024, then 400 million by February 2025.

The key driver behind this rapid growth is attributed to the release of new models and functionalities. Notably, the launch of GPT-4o introduced multimodal capabilities, which significantly boosted user engagement from April to May 2024. Following that, the introduction of Advanced Voice Mode further enhanced usage from July to August 2024. Additionally, the o1 model series propelled increased app activity from September to October 2024.

On mobile platforms, ChatGPT's growth is consistent, as emphasized by a16z. Over the past year, mobile app usage has risen by 5% to 15% monthly. As of the report's release, 175 million of the total 400 million weekly active users accessed the app via mobile devices. This trend underscores the importance of mobile accessibility in sustaining user engagement and app success.

The competitive landscape is also analyzed, with ChatGPT facing competition from apps like DeepSeek, which ranked as the second most popular globally and on mobile platforms. DeepSeek managed to capture 15% of ChatGPT's mobile user base shortly after its launch. However, despite this competition, ChatGPT remains the leader with the highest unique monthly visits on the web and active users on mobile, according to data from Similarweb.

The report also delves into various AI tools for developers, ranking AI applications by category and revenue, and listing top generative AI apps on both mobile and web. ChatGPT continues to hold the top position by unique web visits and mobile activity. This reinforces its status as a dominant force in the AI application market, powered by user-oriented innovations and strategic feature releases.

Sources: Andreessen Horowitz, Similarweb, Sensor Tower

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